US Airways Reports Record March Load Factor

TEMPE, Ariz., April 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE: LCC) today announced March and year-to-date 2013 traffic results. Mainline revenue passenger miles (RPMs) for the month were 5.6 billion, up 5.1 percent versus March 2012. Mainline capacity was 6.5 billion available seat miles (ASMs), up 3.2 percent versus March 2012. Mainline passenger load factor was a record 86.1 percent for the month of March, up 1.5 points versus March 2012.

US Airways' President Scott Kirby said, "Our March consolidated (mainline and Express) passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) was flat versus the same period last year. I would like to thank our team of 32,000 dedicated professionals, who again delivered outstanding operational results for our customers throughout the month, which included the busy spring break travel period."

The Company's March PRASM results are lower than previous guidance due to reduced close-in demand believed to be driven largely by the sequester.

For the month of March, US Airways' preliminary on-time performance as reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation was 82.1 percent with a completion factor of 98.6 percent.

The following summarizes US Airways Group's traffic results for the month and year-to-date ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, consisting of mainline-operated flights as well as US Airways Express flights operated by wholly owned subsidiaries PSA Airlines and Piedmont Airlines.

US Airways Mainline

MARCH

2013

2012

Change

Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles (000)

Domestic

4,338,583

4,095,713

5.9

%

Atlantic

709,001

724,673

(2.2)

%

Latin

566,531

521,927

8.5

%

Total Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles

5,614,115

5,342,313

5.1

%

Mainline Available Seat Miles (000)

Domestic

4,985,802

4,750,192

5.0

%

Atlantic

859,147

933,824

(8.0)

%

Latin

672,741

631,331

6.6

%

Total Mainline Available Seat Miles

6,517,690

6,315,347

3.2

%

Mainline Load Factor (%)

Domestic

87.0

86.2

0.8

pts

Atlantic

82.5

77.6

4.9

pts

Latin

84.2

82.7

1.5

pts

Total Mainline Load Factor

86.1

84.6

1.5

pts

Mainline Enplanements

Domestic

4,446,007

4,280,487

3.9

%

Atlantic

173,347

179,259

(3.3)

%

Latin

415,096

386,798

7.3

%

Total Mainline Enplanements

5,034,450

4,846,544

3.9

%

YEAR TO DATE

2013

2012

Change

Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles (000)

Domestic

11,635,437

11,112,148

4.7

%

Atlantic

1,772,422

1,799,357

(1.5)

%

Latin

1,478,361

1,388,835

6.4

%

Total Mainline Revenue Passenger Miles

14,886,220

14,300,340

4.1

%

Mainline Available Seat Miles (000)

Domestic

13,702,616

13,292,148

3.1

%

Atlantic

2,457,894

2,690,273

(8.6)

%

Latin

1,800,886

1,736,053

3.7

%

Total Mainline Available Seat Miles

17,961,396

17,718,474

1.4

%

Mainline Load Factor (%)

Domestic

84.9

83.6

1.3

pts

Atlantic

72.1

66.9

5.2

pts

Latin

82.1

80.0

2.1

pts

Total Mainline Load Factor

82.9

80.7

2.2

pts

Mainline Enplanements

Domestic

12,008,041

11,833,394

1.5

%

Atlantic

436,560

442,942

(1.4)

%

Latin

1,066,361

1,009,937

5.6

%

Total Mainline Enplanements

13,510,962

13,286,273

1.7

%

Notes:

1)

Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are included in the domestic results.

2)

Latin numbers include the Caribbean.

US Airways Express (Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines)

MARCH

2013

2012

Change

Express Revenue Passenger Miles (000)

Domestic

208,932

191,073

9.3

%

Express Available Seat Miles (000)

Domestic

282,860

270,885

4.4

%

Express Load Factor (%)

Domestic

73.9

70.5

3.4

pts

Express Enplanements

Domestic

687,831

652,811

5.4

%

YEAR TO DATE

2013

2012

Change

Express Revenue Passenger Miles (000)

Domestic

575,995

525,682

9.6

%

Express Available Seat Miles (000)

Domestic

792,336

773,642

2.4

%

Express Load Factor (%)

Domestic

72.7

67.9

4.8

pts

Express Enplanements

Domestic

1,914,104

1,829,602

4.6

%

Notes:

1)

Canada is included in domestic results.

Consolidated US Airways Group, Inc.

MARCH

2013

2012

Change

Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles (000)

Domestic

4,547,515

4,286,786

6.1

%

Atlantic

709,001

724,673

(2.2)

%

Latin

566,531

521,927

8.5

%

Total Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles

5,823,047

5,533,386

5.2

%

Consolidated Available Seat Miles (000)

Domestic

5,268,662

5,021,077

4.9

%

Atlantic

859,147

933,824

(8.0)

%

Latin

672,741

631,331

6.6

%

Total Consolidated Available Seat Miles

6,800,550

6,586,232

3.3

%

Consolidated Load Factor (%)

Domestic

86.3

85.4

0.9

pts

Atlantic

82.5

77.6

4.9

pts

Latin

84.2

82.7

1.5

pts

Total Consolidated Load Factor

85.6

84.0

1.6

pts

Consolidated Enplanements

Domestic

5,133,838

4,933,298

4.1

%

Atlantic

173,347

179,259

(3.3)

%

Latin

415,096

386,798

7.3

%

Total Consolidated Enplanements

5,722,281

5,499,355

4.1

%

YEAR TO DATE

2013

2012

Change

Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles (000)

Domestic

12,211,432

11,637,830

4.9

%

Atlantic

1,772,422

1,799,357

(1.5)

%

Latin

1,478,361

1,388,835

6.4

%

Total Consolidated Revenue Passenger Miles

15,462,215

14,826,022

4.3

%

Consolidated Available Seat Miles (000)

Domestic

14,494,952

14,065,790

3.1

%

Atlantic

2,457,894

2,690,273

(8.6)

%

Latin

1,800,886

1,736,053

3.7

%

Total Consolidated Available Seat Miles

18,753,732

18,492,116

1.4

%

Consolidated Load Factor (%)

Domestic

84.2

82.7

1.5

pts

Atlantic

72.1

66.9

5.2

pts

Latin

82.1

80.0

2.1

pts

Total Consolidated Load Factor

82.4

80.2

2.2

pts

Consolidated Enplanements

Domestic

13,922,145

13,662,996

1.9

%

Atlantic

436,560

442,942

(1.4)

%

Latin

1,066,361

1,009,937

5.6

%

Total Consolidated Enplanements

15,425,066

15,115,875

2.0

%

Notes:

1)

Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are included in the domestic results.

2)

Latin numbers include the Caribbean.

US Airways

US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,000 flights per day and serves 198 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 32,000 aviation professionals worldwide, operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,329 airports in 194 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. Aviation Week and Overhaul & Maintenance magazine presented US Airways with the 2012 Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the Year Award for demonstrating outstanding achievement and innovation in the area of technical operations. Military Times Edge magazine named US Airways as a Best of Vets employer in 2011 and 2012. US Airways was, for the third year in a row, the only airline included as one of the 50 best companies to work for in the U.S. by LATINA Style magazine's 50 Report. The airline also earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality index for six consecutive years. The Corporate Equality index is a leading indicator of companies' attitudes and policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. For more company information visit usairways.com, follow on Twitter @USAirways or at Facebook.com/USAirways. (LCCT)

Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained or referred to herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "project," "could," "should," "would," "continue" and similar terms used in connection with statements regarding, among others, the outlook, expected fuel costs, revenue and pricing environment, and expected financial performance and liquidity position of the Company. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from these statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the impact of significant operating losses in the future; downturns in economic conditions and their impact on passenger demand, booking practices and related revenues; the impact of the price and availability of fuel and significant disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel; competitive practices in the industry, including the impact of industry consolidation; increased costs of financing, a reduction in the availability of financing and fluctuations in interest rates; the Company's high level of fixed obligations and ability to fund general corporate requirements, obtain additional financing and respond to competitive developments; any failure to comply with the liquidity covenants contained in financing arrangements; provisions in credit card processing and other commercial agreements that may affect the Company's liquidity; the impact of union disputes, employee strikes and other labor-related disruptions; the inability to maintain labor costs at competitive levels; interruptions or disruptions in service at one or more of the Company's hub airports; regulatory changes affecting the allocation of slots; the Company's reliance on third-party regional operators or third-party service providers; the Company's reliance on and costs, rights and functionality of third-party distribution channels, including those provided by global distribution systems, conventional travel agents and online travel agents; changes in government regulation; the impact of changes to the Company's business model; the loss of key personnel or inability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the impact of conflicts overseas or terrorist attacks, and the impact of ongoing security concerns; the Company's ability to operate and grow its route network; the impact of environmental regulation; the Company's reliance on technology and automated systems and the impact of any failure or disruption of, or delay in, these technologies or systems; costs of ongoing data security compliance requirements and the impact of any significant data security breach; the impact of any accident involving the Company's aircraft or the aircraft of its regional operators; delays in scheduled aircraft deliveries or other loss of anticipated fleet capacity; the Company's dependence on a limited number of suppliers for aircraft, aircraft engines and parts; the Company's ability to operate profitably out of Philadelphia International Airport; the impact of weather conditions and seasonality of airline travel; the impact of possible future increases in insurance costs or reductions in available insurance coverage; the impact of global events that affect travel behavior, such as an outbreak of a contagious disease; the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; the Company's ability to use NOLs and certain other tax attributes; risks relating to the Company's anticipated merger with AMR Corporation; and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in the Company's reports to and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). There may be other factors not identified above of which the Company is not currently aware that may affect matters discussed in the forward-looking statements, and may also cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or supplement any forward-looking statement to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such estimates other than as required by law. Additional factors that may affect the future results of the Company are set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and in the Company's other filings with the SEC, which are available at www.usairways.com.